shailer



, No. 599,113. Patented Feb. 15 1898.

Nb Modem ,2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. W.-'SHAILER. PASTENER FOR BAGS, MAIL BAGS, &c.

kzlsadiiv rlaeys.

(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. W.- SHAILER.

IASTENBR FOR BAGS, MAIL BAGS, 850. No. 599,113. Patented Feb. 15,1898;

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE;

GEORGE WILLIAM SHAILER, OF WELLINGTON, NElV ZEALAND, ASSIGNOR OFONE-FOURTH TO MAURICE -GOHEN,'OF SAME PLACE.

FASTENER FOR BAGS, MAIL-BAGS, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,113, dated February15, 1898.

Application filed ay 14, 1897. Serial No. 636,560. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE WILLIAM SHAILER, a subject of the Queen ofGreat Britain, residing at 54c Lambton Quay, in the city of Wellington,in the Colony of New Zealand, have invented an Improved Fastener forBags, Mail-Bags, and other Receptacles; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention.

This invention has reference to fasteners used for closing the mouths ofbags, securing the lids of receptacles, and for similar purposes, and ismore especially advantageous for use upon mail-bags or receptacles whichare sealed after being closed, as a security against their contentsbeing tampered with; and the object of the invention is to provide adurable, secure, inexpensive, and handy fastener which may be readily,rapidly, and easily adjusted upon or removed from a bag or otherreceptacle, and one which may be adjusted to fit articles of differentsizes.

To the present time it has been the custom to fasten mail-bags with astring or cord and affix the seal upon the string and bag, with theresult that it was necessary to renew the string each time the bag wasreclosed. A loss of time and expenditure of labor were thus entailed,which are overcome by my invention. Further,the seal was frequentlybroken, owing to its being affixed to a flexible material which issubjected to considerable rough usage in transit from place to place.

In carrying out the object of theinvention I make a band preferably ofband-steel or of hardened brass where it is desired to resist the effectof moisture. A piece of strong clock-spring is admirably suitable forthe band, one end of which has a joint to receive a lever, and near theother end a loop or loops is or are provided to receive a hook formedupon the said lever. In securing the bag a band is passed around themouth in the same position as the string at present in use, and a loopis slipped within the hook of the lever, which is then brought over todraw the parts close around the bag. Teeth upon the lever then engagewith a catch on or in the band,

and around or near this catch is provided a boss or pad of material towhich sealing-wax will adhere, and such substances as vulcanite fiber,wood, and the like will be found suitable for the purpose, or it may bemade of metal perforated with tapering holes, into which the wax may berun from the back, so that the wax of the seal will adhere to the wax inthe perforations. This said boss or pad is so shaped that it willprotect the edges of the seal and will act as the capsule ordinarilyused to protect the seal, and may be made of any suitable material, suchas cast metal, or stamped out of sheet metal. The band may be adjustedby hooking the lever into any oneof the loops upon the band and engagingthe hook upon the catch as required.

The fastener is applicable for use upon bags other than mail-bags and isintended to replace string or cord wherever used for tying up the mouthsof bags, the lids of hampers, and the like. It may further be made inprecious metals and ornamented for wear as a securely-fasteningbracelet.

In order that the invention may be most easily understood, a descriptionwill now be given, while making reference to the accompanying drawings,whereon similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Figure l is a View of the fastener clasped upon and closing the mouth ofa mail-bag. Fig. 2 is a View of the fastener opened out ready to beplaced around a bag or upon a receptacle. Fig. 3 is a view showing thefirst operation when closing the fastener. Fig. 4 is a View of thefastener when closed. 4 Fig. 5 is a View of the loops or bars foradjusting the size of the fastener. Fig. 6 is a section of the catch andpad to which the seal is affixed.

In describing the invention as applied to a mail-bag the fastener isopened, as shown on Fig. 2, where the spring-band Ct is extended toreceive the mouth of the bag I), Fig. 1, which said band is then allowedto close around the bag or is made to do so by the operator. The hook cis then made to engage upon one of the loops or bars (Z, as shown onFig. 3. The lever f, which is jointed to the elbow g, is then carriedaround until it reaches the position shown on Fig. 4:, where one of theteeth f of the lever engages upon the lug h of the catch h and where thesize of the space inclosed by the band a has been considerably reducedto close upon the bag. The lever f is held within the catch it by theelasticity of the spring-band a. A seal may now be affixed upon the pador boss h, which is grooved to admit the end of lever f, and recessed,as shown in the section Fig. 6. When made of metal, this said pad orboss is preferably perforated with tapering holes h, which being filledwith wax from the back will pro vide surfaces of wax upon the front, towhich the wax used for the seal will adhere. The lever may be releasedby passing a pointed Wire onto the holes 7L2, Fig. 1, beneath the sameand prizin g the lever upward until it is free.

hen used as a bracelet, the hook c is closed,so that the lever ispermanently jointed upon a loop or bar (I, one only of which isnecessary, so that when the bracelet is open it will appear as shown onFig. 3, where the space formed by the band a is sufficiently large toadmit the hand of the wearer. The bracelet is then secured by closingthe same, as shown on Fig. at and as previously described herein. Inthis case the extension a of band a may be dispensed with, suchextension being provided in other cases to prevent a soft material, suchas that of which bags are made, from being caught within the elbow gwhen the lever CL is being closed.

When used upon a hamper employed for carrying game and the like, theband 0; is slipped around the bar forming the edge of the lid and aroundthe bar forming the top of the border of the hamper, when the fastenermay be closed and sealed, as hereinbefore described.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. A spring-band having a hooked lever jointed thereto and provided witha loop or loops to take with the hook of the lever and a catch to engagewith teeth formed on the end of the lever and a pad or boss to which"seal of wax may be affixed substantially as and for the purposes setforth herein.

2. A spring having a hooked lever jointed thereto and provided with aloop or loops to take with the hook of the lever and a catch to engagewith teeth formed on the end of the lever and a pad or boss perforatedwith tapering holes whereby a seal of wax may be affixed and protectedsubstantially as and for the purposes set forth herein.

3. A spring-band having a hooked lever jointed thereto and provided witha loop or loops to take with the hook of the lever and a catch to engagewith teeth formed on the end of the lever and a pad or boss having arecess to protect the edges of the seal and perforated with taperingholes whereby a seal of Wax may be affixed and protected substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth herein.

4:. A spring-band having a hooked lever.

jointed thereto and provided with a loop or loops to take with the hookof the lever and a catch to engage with teeth formed on the end of thelever and a pad or boss to which a seal of wax may be affixedsaid-spring-band being provided with holes for releasing the lever fromthe fastener, substantially as and for the purposes set forth herein.

5. In combination, the band having the elbow g, the lever pivoted to theelbow having one extremity pivotally engaging the band while its otherextremity is toothed, and the catch on the band to be engaged by thetooth end of the lever, substantially as described.

6. In combination, the band, the hooked lever pivoted theretointermediate of its length having one extremity hooked to pivotallyengage the band while its other extremity is toothed and the engagingparts on the band at different points for receiving the hook and tooth.

GEORGE WILLIAM SIIAILER.

Vitnesses:

W. E. HUGHES, A. S. COLLINS.

